QUALITATIVE RESEARCH PRACTICE

1 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH PRACTICEA GUIDE FOR SOCIAL SCIENCE STUDENTS AND RESEARCHERSJANE RITCHIEJANE LEWISCAROL MCNAUGHTON NICHOLLSRACHEL 325/10/2013 2:27:11 PM11 THE FOUNDATIONS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCHR achel Ormston, Liz Spencer, Matt Barnard and Dawn SnapeChapter outline The nature of QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Key philosophical issues in social RESEARCH Positivism and scientific method Key developments and traditions in QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Advancement and diversification of QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Choosing an approach The approach within this 125/10/2013 2:27:39 PMthe foundations of QUALITATIVE research2We begin with a brief introduction to the philosophical underpinnings, history and traditions of QUALITATIVE RESEARCH .

2 This is not intended as a comprehensive or detailed account, but rather as edited highlights of some of the key issues in an ever advancing process. There are several reasons why it is helpful to understand some-thing of the background of QUALITATIVE RESEARCH before going on to discuss the spe-cifics of how to do , it is important to be aware that there is no single, accepted way of carrying out QUALITATIVE RESEARCH . Indeed, how researchers proceed depends upon a range of factors, including their beliefs about the nature of the social world (ontology), the nature of knowledge and how it can be acquired (epistemology), the purpose(s) and goals of the RESEARCH , the characteristics of RESEARCH participants, the audience for the RESEARCH , the funders, and the positions and environments of the researchers themselves.

3 Differences in the mix of these factors have led to numerous variations in approaches to QUALITATIVE , views on whether and how quality in QUALITATIVE RESEARCH PRACTICE can or should be assessed depend in part on positions that people hold on key areas of philosophical debate. In other words the degree to which a RESEARCH study is accepted, and by whom, will partly depend on the particular stance(s) that those involved (researchers, funders, participants, etc.) take. Some writers argue that dif-ferent methodological approaches are underpinned by particular philosophical or theoretical assumptions and that researchers should maintain consistency between their philosophical starting point and the methods they adopt.

4 Indeed, maintaining consistency is seen as one way of producing more valid findings (Morse et al., 2001). In contrast, others believe that the methods associated with a range of philo-sophical positions each have something to offer. Thus, they argue that better-quality work is produced if a range of approaches and methods are considered and choices made according to the aims and context of the RESEARCH (Patton, 2002; Seale, 1999; Seale et al., 2007). Either way there is general agreement that an understanding of the background from which different methods originate will contribute to better RESEARCH , as noted in the Preface, the practices and approach to QUALITATIVE RESEARCH discussed in this book have developed within a particular RESEARCH environment, reflecting a particular mix of philosophy, RESEARCH objectives, participants, funders and audiences.

5 It will therefore be helpful for readers to understand where and how we situate our approach within the broader field of QUALITATIVE RESEARCH in order to assess its potential value for their own purposes. We have provided a broad indica-tion of our approach at the end of the nature of QUALITATIVE researchQualitative RESEARCH is difficult to define clearly. It has no theory or paradigm that is distinctively its own .. Nor does QUALITATIVE RESEARCH have a distinct set of methods or practices that are entirely its own. (Denzin and Lincoln, 2011: 6) 225/10/2013 2:27:39 PMthe foundations of QUALITATIVE research3As the quote above indicates, QUALITATIVE RESEARCH is a very broad church and includes a wide range of approaches and methods found within different RESEARCH disciplines.

6 However, despite this diversity and the sometimes conflicting nature of underlying assumptions about its inherent qualities, a number of writers have attempted to cap-ture the essence or defining characteristics of QUALITATIVE RESEARCH (see for example, Barbour, 2008; Denzin and Lincoln, 2011; Flick, 2009; Hammersley and Atkinson, 2007; Holloway and Wheeler, 2010; Silverman, 2011). At a general level, QUALITATIVE RESEARCH is often described as a naturalistic, interpretative approach , concerned with exploring phenomena from the interior (Flick, 2009) and taking the perspectives and accounts of RESEARCH participants as a starting point.

7 Denzin and Lincoln propose that in spite of the inherent diversity within QUALITATIVE RESEARCH , it can be described as:a set of interpretive, material practices that make the world visible. These practices transform the world. They turn the world into a series of representations, including fieldnotes, interviews, conversations, photographs, recordings and memos to self .. QUALITATIVE researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of or interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them. (2011: 3)Other authors have focused on key features of RESEARCH design that may identify a study as QUALITATIVE , including a concern with what why and how ques-tions rather than how many , a focus on processes, and the flexible nature of QUALITATIVE RESEARCH design.

8 Specific data-generation methods such as observa-tional methods, semi- structured and in-depth interviews, and focus groups have been identified with QUALITATIVE RESEARCH , although QUALITATIVE researchers vary considerably in the extent to which they use different methods. As described by Denzin and Lincoln above, QUALITATIVE RESEARCH is often associated with specific kinds of data, usually involving words or images rather than numbers. The vol-ume and richness of QUALITATIVE data are often highlighted, as are the distinctive approaches QUALITATIVE researchers bring to analysis and interpretation, and the kinds of output that derive from QUALITATIVE RESEARCH .

9 In this context, QUALITATIVE RESEARCH is often distinguished by the fact that hypotheses are commonly gener-ated from analysis of the data rather than stated at the outset (Silverman, 2011).Finally, some writers define QUALITATIVE RESEARCH in terms of what it is not, drawing contrasts with the aims and methods of quantitative RESEARCH in general or with traditional quantitative RESEARCH ( Denzin and Lincoln, 2011; Flick, 2009; Strauss and Corbin, 1998; Willis, 2007). However, others ( Silverman, 2011) caution against basing definitions of QUALITATIVE RESEARCH on what they view as often over-simplistic readings of quantitative the wide variation in approaches to QUALITATIVE RESEARCH PRACTICE there are many key elements that are commonly identified as giving QUALITATIVE RESEARCH its distinctive character.

10 These are shown in Box and provide some parameters for the RESEARCH practices described in the rest of this text. However, it should be recognised that a comprehensive definition of QUALITATIVE RESEARCH is difficult to attain, because of the wide array of approaches and beliefs it 325/10/2013 2:27:39 PMthe foundations of QUALITATIVE research4 Box CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Aims and objectives that are directed at providing an in-depth and interpreted understanding of the social world of RESEARCH participants by learning about the sense they make of their social and material circumstances, their experiences, perspectives and histories.